• mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows,  windows phone

    Microsoft Office 365 Now Live On Staples Website

    January 29, 2013 /

    Last night I put up a post that I had found Office 365 Home Premium on Staples website.  I stumbled across it looking for prices on the Mac edition of Microsoft Office.

    As you can see from the photo above, Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac is now up, live, and ready for purchase.

    Unlike other retail box and download versions of Microsoft Office, Office 365 is a subscription service.  That means you will be able to use the latest version of the Office software on up to 5 Macs or Windows PCs, that’s the cool part, but you have to pay an annual subscription maintenance fee of $100 annually.  That’s the not-so-cool-but-kinda-worth-it part.

    I need to install Office, specifically PowerPoint, my kids Compaq laptop that they use for school.  I also need to install Office on my Windows 8 Pro box, so I’m excited about this new version of Office.  I get to install/upgrade Office on two PCs, with Outlook, for less than the price of one Office 2010 Home and Business license that I was looking at a few days ago.

    Sound good?  What do you think?

    [Via Staples.com…]

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  • mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows,  windows phone

    Microsoft’s Office 365 Subscription Service Coming Soon

    January 29, 2013 /

    I just found this on the Staples website while searching for “mac office”.  Looks like we can expect the new Office 365 subscription service to go live in the very near future.

    Below are the product details taken from the Staples website.

    Product Details

    You’ll get more done when you can work from anywhere with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac.

    What’s Office 365?

    Office 365 has the latest version of all the Office applications you know and love, plus cloud services so you can have Office when and where you need it. Just sign in and you can get to your Office files, applications, and settings from virtually anywhere.

    Office 365 is an annual subscription. Microsoft and your Office retailer will let you know when it’s time to renew.
    • One convenient annual subscription for the whole household with automatic upgrades included so you’re always up to date with the latest features and services.
    • Install on up to 5 PCs, Macs, and Windows 8 tablets.*
    • The latest versions of: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.**
    • An extra 20 GB of online storage in SkyDrive (27 GB total) for anywhere access to your documents.***
    • 60 minutes of Skype™ calls each month to phones in 40+ countries.****

    You’ll get more done when you can work from anywhere with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac. All of your favorite Office programs are available for immediate access whenever and wherever you need them, and all of your settings stay stored in the cloud so that you don’t have to alter your preferences every time you log on. Whether you’re sharing a grocery list with family members or working on a project that needs input from coworkers across the country, convenient sharing tools will help keep everyone on the same page.

    Create Documents and Presentations
    Use streaming full versions of Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher to create the presentation or document you envision on up to five PCs or Macs. New templates, including wide-screen documents and new PowerPoint themes, give you more options than ever before. You can also edit PDFs, embed videos, analyze data, and add photos and links to your projects.

    Get Access Anywhere
    Because all your work is stored in the cloud, you can sign into your account from anywhere and get instant access to your documents and files. You can also share your files with others and easily view any changes that are made, so collaboration is simple. Use OneNote to store clips, links, and anything else you come across so you can incorporate these items into future projects.

    Now your Office is there whenever you need it.

    -Be more productive with a full version of Office, no matter where you are.
    -Sign in to get Office on your PC and Windows 8 tablet, Mac.*
    -Each user can sign in to their Microsoft account to get to their documents, applications, and settings.
    -You’ll always have the latest features and services, thanks to automatic version upgrades.

    Sharing and communicating is easier.

    -Get all the latest email, scheduling, and task tools for the entire household.
    -Use OneNote to capture and share notes, pictures, web pages, voice memos, and more.2
    -Allow others to read and scroll through your Word docs in real time through a browser, even if they don’t have Word.

    Your favorite applications are smarter, too.

    -Incorporate content from PDFs into Word documents quickly and easily.
    -Add pictures, videos, or online media to your Word documents with a simple drag and drop.
    -Create more visually compelling presentations with widescreen themes in PowerPoint.
    -Find meaning in numbers faster with the Quick Analysis and Chart Animations in Excel.

    What it includes:

    -Office for the entire household on up to 5 PCs and Windows 8 tablets, Macs.*
    -The latest versions of: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.**
    -An extra 20 GB of online storage in SkyDrive (27 GB total) for anywhere access to your documents.***
    -60 minutes of Skype™ calls each month to phones in 40+ countries.****
    -One convenient annual subscription for the whole household with automatic upgrades included so you’re always up to date with the latest features and services.

    System Requirements:
    Computer and Processor
    1 GHz or faster x86 or 64-bit processor with SSE2 instruction set

    Memory
    1 GB RAM (32 Bit) /2 GB RAM (64 Bit)

    Hard Disk
    3.0 GB of available disk space

    Operating System
    Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 2008 R2 with .NET 3.5 or greater

    Graphics
    Graphics hardware acceleration requires DirectX10 graphics card

    Additional Requirements
    Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10; Mozilla Firefox 10.x or a later version; Apple Safari 5; or Google Chrome 17.x.

    Other

    Internet connection. Fees may apply.
    Microsoft and Skype Accounts.
    A touch-enabled device is required to use any multi-touch functionality. However, all features and functionality are always available by using a keyboard, mouse, or other standard or accessible input device. New touch features are optimized for use with Windows 8.
    Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require additional or advanced hardware or server connectivity.

    *Windows 7, Windows 8 OS, Windows Phone 7.5, Mac OS X version 10.5.8 required. Additional devices will be added in the future. Internet connection required. Internet and mobile telephone usage charges may apply.
    **Access and Publisher available on PC only. OneNote not available on Mac OS.
    ***PC running Windows 7 or 8 and Internet connection required.
    ****See office.com/information for details. Skype account required. Excludes special, premium, and non-geographic numbers. Calls to mobile phones are for select countries only. Skype available only in select countries.
    *****Internet and/or carrier network connectivity required; charges may apply.


    [Via Staples.com…]

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  • apple,  ios,  itunes,  itunes store,  mac,  mac os x,  windows

    Apple Posts Redesigned iTunes 11

    December 2, 2012 /

    Last week, Apple released iTunes 11, the next major upgrade to the company’s media management and iOS device sync software for Mac and Windows PCs.

    It has been widely reported about the new features of iTunes 11 with it’s iCloud integration, cleaner design layout and improved iTunes Store layout.

    Love it or hate it, iTunes 11 has a new design layout that is a big departure from all previous versions of  iTunes.  New users may find the changes welcome, but for long time users like myself, who have been using iTunes since version 1.0, the changes can be a little bit disorienting and a little confusing.

    No problems.  To get a more familiar view of iTunes back, turn on the iTunes Sidebar.

    Just use the View > Show Sidebar menu command or press Option + Command + S on your keyboard.

    Oh, and there is also a small side benefit; in the iTunes 11 Sidebar, the colored icons are back!

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  • apple,  imac,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  mountain lion

    Apple Refreshes the iMac, Mac mini

    October 24, 2012 /

    Apple also, today, updated the iMac and Mac mini computers.

    SAN JOSE, California—October 23, 2012—Apple® today unveiled a completely new iMac® with a stunning design, brilliant display with reduced reflection, and faster processors.* With third generation Intel quad-core processors, powerful NVIDIA graphics and an innovative new storage option called Fusion Drive, the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made. 

    “With a stunning design, brilliant display and faster performance, we’ve made the world’s leading all-in-one desktop computer better in every way,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The all-new iMac is unbelievably thin, yet packs an incredible amount of performance and technology into our most innovative desktop.” 

    Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer. 

    Apple also updated the Mac® mini with third generation dual-core Intel Core i5 and quad-core Intel Core i7 processors that are up to twice as fast and have integrated graphics that are up to 65 percent faster.** Mac mini comes standard with 4GB of 1600 MHz memory with support for up to 16GB. Retaining its amazingly compact aluminum design, the new Mac mini now includes four USB 3.0 ports in addition to its Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire® 800 ports.

    Pricing and Availability

    The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The 21.5-inch iMac will be available in November through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). The 27-inch iMac will be available in December through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The Mac mini is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $599 (US); a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $799 (US); and a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, OS X Server, 4GB of memory and two 1TB hard drives for a suggested retail price of $999 (US). The Mac mini is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    For more information about the new iMac and Mac mini family of computers, visit the Apple Mac website.
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  • apple,  mac os x,  macbook pro,  mountain lion

    Apple Introduces 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display

    October 24, 2012 /

    Today’s Apple event wasn’t just about iPads.  Nope.  Apple also introduced new Macs too, including the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

    SAN JOSE, California—October 23, 2012—Apple® today introduced an all-new version of its popular 13-inch MacBook® Pro featuring a stunning Retina™ display and all flash storage in a new compact design. At a mere 0.75 inches and 3.57 pounds, the remarkably portable 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 20 percent thinner and almost a pound lighter than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro. 

    “The 13-inch MacBook Pro is our most popular Mac, and today it gets completely reinvented with a new thin and light design, fast flash storage and a gorgeous Retina display,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With vivid colors, razor sharp text and more pixels than anyone else’s 15 or 17-inch notebooks, the Retina display completely changes what you expect from a notebook.” 

    The new MacBook Pro packs more than 4 million pixels into its 13-inch Retina display, nearly twice the number of pixels in an HD television. At 227 pixels per inch, the Retina display’s pixel density is so high the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels at a normal viewing distance, so images look sharp and text looks like it does on the printed page. With four times the pixels of the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, you can view and edit video in pixel-accurate 1080p and see a new level of detail in high resolution images. The 13-inch Retina display uses IPS technology for a 178-degree wide viewing angle, and has 75 percent less reflection and 28 percent higher contrast than the current generation.

    Pricing and Availability

    The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory and 128GB of flash storage starting at $1,699 (US); and with 256GB of flash storage starting at $1,999 (US). Configure-to-order options include faster dual-core Intel Core i7 processors and flash storage up to 768GB. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/macbook-pro. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The full press release for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display can be found on the Apple website.

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  • apple,  itunes,  itunes store,  mac,  mac os x,  windows

    Apple’s Ping Service Closes Down Today

    September 30, 2012 /
    The iTunes Ping service has closed.  More commonly referred simply as Ping, was Apple’s attempt at a social media service integrated with the iTunes Store.  Ping was available in iTunes for Mac and Windows PCs.
    Users were greeted with a simple message in iTunes stating that the service has closed.  Ping was a service that allowed iTunes users share and discover new music and old favorites.  It was also intended as a way for artists to connect with their fans and offer updates on what they were doing and when they would be touring.
    Ping turned out to be one of Apple’s rare disasters with low adoption and usage rates.  It was also widely held that Apple had originally intended to have iTunes integrate with social media giant Facebook, but a deal could not be reached between Apple and Facebook.  The cost of the licensing agreement for the interface to Facebook was rumored to be the cause of the disagreement.
    iTunes Ping was launched on September 1, 2010.
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  • apple,  mac,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook pro,  mountain lion

    Apple Releases Mountain Lion 10.8.2 Update, iPhoto Updated

    September 20, 2012 /

    As if launching iOS 6 and a slew of app updates wasn’t enough to make Apple fan boys and girls go nuts, Apple also rolled out the Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 update today.

    Update: Looks like iPhoto also received an update to add support for shared photo streams in Mountain Lion, new card and calendar themes, and performance and stability improvements.

    The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2 update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users and includes new features and fixes.
    Updating your system
    You should back up your system before installation; you can use Time Machine.
    Do not interrupt the installation process once you have started to update your system.
    You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you’ve modified the operating system through other means.
    Choose Apple () menu > Software Update… to check for the latest Apple software via the Mac App Store, including this update.
    Other software updates available for your computer may appear, which you should install. Note that an update’s size may vary from computer to computer when installed using Software Update. Also, some updates must be installed prior to others.
    You can also download the manual update installer. This is a useful option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.

    Additional Information

    This update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users, and includes new features and fixes:
    Facebook
    • Single sign on for Facebook
    • Adds Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos
    • See Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts
    • Facebook notifications now appear in Notification Center
    Game Center
    • Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages
    • Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations
    • Added Facebook “Like” button for games
    • Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement
    Other new features
    • Adds Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010)
    • iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac*
    • You can now add passes to Passbook (on your iPhone or iPod touch) from Safari and Mail on your Mac*
    • FaceTime can now receive calls sent to your phone number*
    • New shared Reminders lists
    • New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them
    • Dictation now supports additional languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian
    • Dictionary app now includes a French definition dictionary
    • Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts
    * Requires iOS 6

    General fixes
    The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2 update also includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, including the following fixes:
    • Adds an option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As
    • Unsent drafts are now opened automatically when launching Mail
    • Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone
    • URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center
    • Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used
    • Adds SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari
    • Adds a new preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages
    • Resolves an issue that may cause the “Enable Autodiscover” checkbox to always remain checked
    • Enables access to the Mac App Store when Parental Controls are enabled
    • Support for @icloud.com email addresses
    • Resolves a video issue with some VGA projectors when connected to certain Mac notebooks
    • Addresses an issue that may prevent Active Directory accounts from being locked out
    • Resolves an issue that may cause the policy banner to re-appear prior to logging in
    • Improvements to SMB
    • Addresses an issue with NIS users when auto-login is enabled
    • Addresses an issue in which the Keychain may not be accessible
    • Ability to pre-authenticate a FileVault protected system
    • Addresses an issue that may cause Xsan to not automatically start after migrating from Mac OS X Snow Leopard
    For information about the security content of this update, please visit this website.
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  • android,  games,  ios,  mac os x,  rovio,  windows

    Rovio Bad Piggies “Launches” Sept 27

    September 18, 2012 /

    Rovio announced today that their next game, “Bad Piggies” will launch for iOS, Android, Mac OS X, and Windows on September 27.

    “Bad Piggies” is based on Rovio’s Angry Birds universe, but is not an Angry Birds game.  Think of Bad Piggies as what Amazing Alex should have been, and cross it with Angry Birds.  Check out the linked to video for a preview of what the game play is expected to be like – Bad Piggies Game Play Trailer.

    [Image via BGR.com…]

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  • apple,  fusion,  mac os x,  next,  openstep,  os,  parallels,  steve jobs

    Narrowing In on NeXT OpenStep

    August 30, 2012 /

    A few days ago I talked about wanting to get NeXT’s OpenStep running on my MacBook Pro in either Parallels or VMware Fusion.

    I’m narrowing in on a vendor that has the software I’m looking for.  Bonus points for the vendor for having the authority to resell the software with Apple’s blessing.  I will post more details about the vendor and purchasing options once the software becomes available for purchase.

    In the mean time, check out the video below for a ‘live’ demo of NeXTStep running on a greyscale NeXT Cube powered by none other than the Motorola 68040 processor.  The same processor that was used in the 1991 Apple Macintosh Quadra 900.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXHFfc3btCI]

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  • app store,  apple,  mac,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook pro

    Smooth Sailing with Mac OS X 10.8.1 Update

    August 26, 2012 /

    Earlier this afternoon I finally got around to installing the Mountain Lion 10.8.1 update on my mid-2009 MacBook Pro.

    Mac OS X 10.8.1 is a small update weighing in at less than 40MB.  The whole install process literally took 5 minutes.  My Mac Pro will get upgraded tomorrow.
    You download the update from the Mac App Store rather than the Software Update control panel.  This is a change in how updates are downloaded with Lion (10.7), Snow Leopard (10.6) and earlier versions of Mac OS X.
    If you don’t have Mac OS X Mountain Lion installed on your Mac, you can purchase it for $19.99 from the Mac App Store.  Once you have purchased Mac OS X, you can install it on any Macintosh that you own and meets the minimum technical requirements.  Double check the specs.  Not all of the new features, like AirPlay are supported on 2011 and earlier Macs.  Updates to Mac OS X are free to download.
    I’m running the 17-inch model with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB disk drive.  I chose the 17-inch MacBook Pro line, now discontinued, to give me the best of both worlds; a desktop when connected to a 37-inch HD TV and a high resolution, large screen computer when I’m at my various meetings during the month.
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